Cognitive impairment can be brought about by or the result of ingesting or otherwise introducing an intoxicating substance, such as alcohol or a drug, by an individual, or by a medical condition such as a concussion or fatigue. By cognitive impairment it is meant a diminution of a speed or quality in mental and motor functions of the effected individual. Cognitive impairment can include or result in loss or diminishment in judgment, self-control, reasoning, memory, speech and/or coordination.
Extreme cognitive impairment is readily recognizable to others, and, generally, to the individual—although because judgment is impaired the individual may not recognize or acknowledge the impairment. More problematic are situations in which the individual is only mildly impaired and thus may not be aware of any impairment at all. For example, because of a multitude of factors that affect blood alcohol concentration, i.e., age, gender, rate of consumption, body mass, food consumption and alcohol intolerance common among some ethnic groups, it is very difficult for an individual to assess his or her own impairment. While earlier stages of alcohol impairment may be undetectable to the drinker and others, it is known even small amounts of alcohol affect one's ability to drive, and a person will likely be too impaired to drive before appearing or maybe even feeling “drunk.”
The same situation can arise when a person has suffered a blow to the head and have a concussion or is suffering from extreme fatigue, but insist that they ‘feel fine,’ and do not require medical attention or rest.
Thus, there is a need for an easy to use, portable and ubiquitous system and method to permit a person to quickly and accurately detect cognitive impairment in themselves and others.